PHOENIX (AP) — Ishbia has been dead for five months as the new owner of the Phoenix Suns It produced a whirlwind of change.
No one looks completely safe – not even 12-time point guard Chris Paul – as the Michigan native continues his quest to deliver Phoenix its first NBA title.
The aggressive owner oversaw his last big move on Sunday, when he made the SunsFrame the tradeThat would send Paul, Landry Schmidt and other compensation to the Washington Wizards in exchange for three-time All-Star Bradley Beal.
Paul – madeAn appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Mondaysmorning to promote his new book – he seemed as shocked by the development as anyone.
“I was surprised, too,” said Paul. “I found out I was on board, yesterday, flying here for this. In this league anything can happen, so you just have to figure out what’s next.”
peehe told the New York Timesthat he learned about the trade via a text message from his 14-year-old son. He also said he believes former Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas, who is a friend of Ishbia, had a hand in the deal. Eshpia said Thomas has no official role in the franchise.
“It’s just — it’s hard,” Paul said. “Really, it’s part of the job, and what you realize is that no one owes you anything. No matter how you are with them or what you do, you realize that in this business, no one owes you anything, as it should be.”
“But when it came and my son texted me, I realized, you know, Matt and Isiah, I think, just wanted to go in a different direction.”
Paul came to the desert in 2020, bringing instant credibility to the Suns, who have struggled near the bottom of the standings for a decade. Base formed a formidable backdrop with Devin Booker, and the Suns came close to a championship, winning their first two games of the NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 before losing the next four.
The Suns have also been good in the past two regular seasons, but have suffered back-to-back embarrassing home game exits.
That was apparently enough for Ishbia to decide to make sweeping changes.
Ishbia – who took control of the teamFrom the embattled Robert Sarver in FebHe didn’t shy away from making big moves, even before their final playoff exit. The Suns added 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant in a massive final trade that sent Michal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and a host of first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets.
The bold move failed to yield a championship, so Ishbilla continued his reformation.
sunsCoach Monty Williams was recently firedwho was the NBA Coach of the Year in 2022,And bring in Frank VogelNow the team is moving on from 38-year-old Paul and bringing in Bell, who averaged more than 22 points per game during his 11-year career.
More changes could be on the horizon.
The Suns now have a stellar core of Booker, Durant, Beal and Deandre Ayton, but there isn’t much help around them. The quad will make about $150 million next season and the Suns will have to get creative as they try to add quality players.
Another option is to trade Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 who’s had five up and down seasons with the franchise.
There don’t seem to be many obvious suitors for Ayton’s deal, especially after the 6-foot-11 center has had an underwhelming performance in the playoffs this year.
But with Ishbiya helping to pull the strings these days, nothing seems impossible. The former Michigan State basketball player—who was part of the Spartans’ championship team in 2000—made it clear that no one in the organization is as sacred as paying for a title.
“I want to think big,” Eshpia said last February.
.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper { display: grid; grid template columns: repeat(2, 1fr); gap: 20px; }
.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper a { pointer-events: none; cursor: default; text-decoration: none; Black color; }